Horiwila History

Late Dr. Herathhamy (Father of Dr. Sena Banda)

After completing his higher studies young Sena Banda become an Agriculture Specialist but still would get attracted to his father Dr S M Herathhamy’s traditional practice. Thus, he became the best understudy of Dr. Herathhamy by late 70s and would perform miraculous treatment technics on patients with serious spinal and orthopedic injuries in his father’s presence. The proud father paved the way for the young doctor in the making and allowed him to continue the practice. In a few years young Sena Banda became equally famous as an orthopedic surgeon and practitioner and received his registration from the Ayurvedic Medical Council as a fully-fledged indigenous medical professional in 1983.   

Dr. Herathhamy is considered one of the best orthopedic and general physicians in Sri Lanka whose heritage goes back to more than 32 generations, or at least 1500 years. The Horiwila indigenous medical tradition commence from King Dhathusena era (455 A.D) and Dr Herathhamy’s reputation expanded beyond the shores of Sri Lanka.  Lived in a remote village in Sri Lanka’s North-Central Anuradhapura District (almost 200 kms from Colombo), he had thousands of miraculous treatments for his credit derived from recipes which are of confidential hereditary by the family tradition. 

In one such an incident, in mid-80’s the mother of the Queen of Denmark climbed the Seegiriya Rock and she a fracture in one of her leg. “She was brought to me by Mr Silva of the Habarana Lodge hotel,” Dr Herathhamy told a newspaper a few years later. “In fact she has first opted to seek western type of treatment but after Mr Silva’s description on me, she agreed to meet me.  I treated her for about two weeks while staying at the hotel. The leg was fully cured. Then, as a gesture, she built and donated a ward for the patients who are coming from faraway places. Mr Silva also helped. People are coming from France, Germany, England for treatments. Once a German got treatments for his wounds which was more than six years old,” said Dr Herathhamy. 

All his medicinal secrets were relayed to his son Sena Banda – who later became a prominent member of the Ayurvedic Medical Council of Sri Lanka for the past two decades - who is doing a yeoman service for the preservation and development of Sri Lankan indigenous medicine, apart from treating thousands of patients – both local and foreign. 

Status of Late Dr. Herathhamy in Wedagama (Father of Dr. Sena Banda)